The Heaton File

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He guards all his bones; not one of them is broken. (Psalm 34:17-20)

The God Of Comfort

Grief is common to all mankind. In a lifetime, everyone experiences sadness and will experience the pain of a broken heart. As common as the human spirit, all feel the feeling of loss. Every experience is different. Some endure grievous loss. Others try to understand the void left by the absence of a loved one. Pain and suffering come from many different parts of life. Natural events change lives, personal choices reap consequences of sorrow, and often, pain is inflicted by the carelessness of others or evil intentions of those who seek to bring harm. Whatever the reason, grief is real, painful, without end, and void of understanding.

God did not intend for His creation to suffer. He places them in the Garden of Eden, a Paradise of security, happiness, and fellowship with the Divine. Men often ask why bad things happen, and God has the answer. Pain and suffering came as a consequence of sin. When Adam and Eve lost the garden, they gained evil, pain, and suffering. Shortly after the story of Eden, Adam and Eve found their son dead in the field, killed by his brother. Their son had killed their son. The wickedness of Cain killed Abel, and the plague of suffering and pain has been felt ever since.

Mankind has brought the worst of humanity against itself. In the face of such suffering, God has given a message of hope and comfort. Who can bring peace to the heart of a suffering soul than the One who created that soul? God knows how to bring answers to grieving hearts. The hurt may not diminish sorrow, but the heart can mend itself to allow joy to return.

When the people of God cry out to Him, He hears and helps them find answers to escape their troubles. The answer to grief can only be found in a relationship with God. As a child weeps before his father, a child of God weeps before his heavenly Father, seeking solace and peace. God hears! He is not unaware of the depth of suffering. The Lord has a name for every star in the sky as a testimony that of the eight billion souls dwelling on Earth, God knows the grief of every heart – and He cares! He wants to deliver the troubled soul and will if the heart is willing.

The poet David knew the protecting care of His heavenly Father. David knew the closer he drew near to God, the greater his comfort was found. His relationship with God was the key to understanding life’s sorrows. His heart was broken, and contrite before the Lord, and the Lord brought him peace. The righteous suffer many things. God is aware of every one of the sufferings. When a man trusts in God to deliver him, he will find the joy of deliverance. There will be many sorrows in life, and the heart will discover loss on many levels. The Lord has the answer to sorrow and loss.

God does not promise to remove grief and grieving. There is a healing process for those who exercise grief in the presence of God. Standing at the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus wept – and He was the Son of God. There are lessons to be learned. The promise of God to wipe away all the tears does not happen until eternity. In the meantime, God gives those who seek Him hope, peace, joy, and comfort. He will draw near to them and give them the answers to the cruel hand of pain and suffering. It may not be the answer we want, but it is the right answer to grief. Let God fill your heart with His love, and you will find the courage to face grief. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences. (2 Corinthians 5:10-11)

We Need Some Terror

Webster defines ‘terror’ as “a state of intense fear, a frightening aspect.” The Greek word for terror is PHOBOS, from which the word “phobia” comes. It means to be afraid, exceedingly fearful, and terror. It is not a pleasant word and comes with exceeding alarm and dread. The context of Paul using this phrase is found in two things. First, the apprehension personally felt by Paul to be found wanting before the Lord. Second, understanding the plight of most people in the world who do not fear God. It was Paul’s mission to save those who were lost, and there were many, many souls to save.

Fear is a productive and strong motivator. Paul does not dismiss the love of God and His grace but is fully aware of the consequences of ignoring the judgment seat of Christ. His warning is crystal clear. Anyone who dismisses eternal judgment will find themselves in a most unpleasant place with God. Sadly, the world is so busy seeking after the trappings of life no time is given to consider what happens after death. Unbelievers falsely claim that death ends all things. They suggest life is all there is, and death obliterates the life of the person, denying eternity. Paul is arguing for what happens after death in the eternal realm.

If life on earth was all there was, what kind of guardrails would there be? There would be no boundaries or inhibitions because life is one free exercise of personal choice. If death ends everything and there is nothing after death, a person should live their life as wild, free, immoral, and degrading as they can. What difference would it make? What is an amazing experience for the human factor is the deep-seated need for moral choice. Morality demands reckoning and accountability. Humanity struggles with morality because, whether they understand the mechanics of judgment or not, they believe life has no consequence. Paul calls it the “judgment seat of Christ.”

When law is removed, a lawless state exists. This means that anything a person does is not accountable. If murder were lawful, the world would fall into chaos. When sexuality is delegated to personal choice without accountability, adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bestiality, pedophilia, and free sex are accepted without judgment. The law of man is established to maintain order and civility. God has a law that was established to determine what is right and wrong. Disregarding the law of God will bring eternal consequences – the judgment seat of Christ.

Paul looked at life with the view that whatever a person does in this life (in the body) will be brought before the judgment seat of Christ to receive the blessings of God or the wrath of God. There are consequences to what a person does in life. Everyone will appear before Christ’s judgment seat with no respect for persons. If a person has done good, he will be blessed; if he has done bad, he will be punished. Fear should grip the heart, knowing that life will be judged and there is the reality of eternal condemnation. The terror of the Lord must live in the heart to convince the soul of God’s wrath.

Understanding the wrath of God will help convince a rebellious soul to change. If the terror of the Lord cannot change the heart, there is no hope. There will be a day of judgment. It will be a strict and impartial accounting for every person. The wrath of God will be brought upon the guilty. It will be an awful day of wailing and terror for those who ignore the warnings. Jesus said most will be lost because the world does not fear God. They will one day, and it will be too late. Albert Barnes writes, “Who can fancy the horrors of the hosts of the guilty and the wretched who shall then hear that their doom is to be fixed forever in a world of unspeakable woe?” What the world needs is some terror to fill their hearts.

The Lord will bring the king of Assyria upon you and your people and your father’s house—days that have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah. And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord will whistle for the fly that is in the farthest part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. (Isaiah 7:17-18)

When The Lord Whistles

Since the days of the Tower of Babel, the world has become a global land of nations divided by languages and cultures. Powerful nations like Egypt and Rome once ruled over vast tracts of land for centuries. History is filled with nations conquering other nations, global wars, and empires rising and falling. The writings of men record the events, but only the Bible shows the reasons. Some of the world’s great empires include the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans. Secular history tells the story of great kings who ruled in these nations and their conquests. From a Biblical perspective, the greater story is told.

Assyria was a great nation from 900 to 600 B.C. It was a ruthless and brutal military force devasting anything in its path. Sargon, Shalmaneser, Tiglath-Pileser, Sennacherib, and Esarhaddon were great kings of Assyria who plagued the people of God. It was the Assyrians that captured the northern ten tribes of Israel and destroyed their identity. In 722 B.C., the Assyrians captured Samaria and took the people of God captive. The coming of Assyria against the people of God was not by accident. God whistled, and Assyria came.

Isaiah prophesied 740-700 B.C. during the Assyrian age and was a contemporary with Amos, Hosea, Micah, and Jonah. He pleaded with the people of God to repent and turn back to God. His warning came as he described the Lord whistling for an army as numerous as the swarms of flies that plagued Egypt during the plagues. A bee is a stinging creature called by the Lord to bring great pain and suffering. The Egyptians, Assyrians, and later the Babylonians will all come against the nation of God and punish them. Isaiah tells them that when they see the armies of Assyria encamped around Samaria, it is God’s doing. He whistled, and they came. The warning extended to Jerusalem when the Nebuchadnezzar came with his army.

History unfolds the fulfillment of the nations that came against Israel and Judah. The prophets reminded the people that God rules over all nations, and when it is the will of the Lord for a people to rise to greatness, it is God’s will, not man’s. God brings nations down. When the Lord whistles, nations crumble. He used nations more evil than Israel to destroy them. A nation that turns away from God will hear the divine whistle of a wrathful God. There is no mistaking its sound. Isaiah declares God rules in the affairs of men. It is the will of the Lord when He decides to whistle.

The sound of God’s whistle can still be heard today. There is an unmistakable lesson from the history of nations that remains true. God remains in charge of all nations, and according to His will, nations rise and fall. The political world can seem chaotic and uncertain, but one thing is crystal clear. God has a plan for all nations, including the United States of America. The deeper the nation plunges into ungodliness, the louder the whistle of God becomes. He knows the hearts of all men, and when He sees a nation turn its heart away from Him, He whistles. If you listen for it, you will hear it.

The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. (Revelation 21:21)

An Inexpressible View Of Heaven

Words can hardly describe the full impact of what an unimaginable place can be, especially when describing the eternal abode of the saved. What John saw in the Revelation, he wrote down in words, but to know how he felt when he saw the new heaven and new earth is impossible. Imagine what his eyes beheld and the impact of the vision on his soul. He saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Then, an angel came to show John the bride, the Lamb’s wife.

The great city, the holy Jerusalem, descended out of heaven from God with light like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. John saw a city 1400 miles cubed made of the most incredible jewels. There were twelve gates, three on each side of the city. The wall was of jasper, and the city was pure gold, like clear glass, with a foundation adorned with all kinds of precious stones. What was amazing to the eye was discerning that the twelve gates were twelve pearls and that the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

How is it possible to imagine a massive gate made of one pearl? John saw the street of the city was made of pure gold, as was the city itself made of gold. What is there in this world to compare to the majesty, glory, beauty, and incredible wonder of such a city? John’s vision was not to describe a literal city with gates of pearl or a street of pure gold but to show something so far beyond the imagination of man; it is an eternal wonder. Even with all the details of the holy city described in the Revelation, the soul is left breathless at the immensity of glory that fills the city contained within its walls.

Heaven is not a physical city made of precious stones and gold. There are no mansions where the saints will abide as if on earth. Jesus went to prepare the abiding place for the saved through the sacrifice of Himself on the cross. Man has been privileged to look upon the eternal blessings of a loving God, who gives humanity a glimpse of something so powerful that it becomes almost unimaginable. Each gate was described as one pearl. How is that possible? The street of the city was pure gold. Is that possible? It’s not the detail but the imagery. John saw the impossible to show what is possible to believe in. Heaven is beyond words.

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. (Psalm 14:1-2)

God Is Looking For Hearts Seeking Him

To believe there is no God is to deny the invisible attributes that are clearly revealed in nature and the divine revelation. Calling a man a “fool” is a harsh reality of how disposed the mind has become to deny his Creator. A fool is a person lacking in judgment or prudence. According to Hastings Bible Dictionary, the New Testament Greek word for ‘fool’ describes him as “deficient in understanding,” “unwise,” “senseless,” and “unintelligent.” Denying God makes one a fool and will put him in jeopardy of eternal punishment.

David says the fool is corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good! Life without God makes one a fool because he lives for his own self-satisfaction. A godless world leads to all kinds of evil. When society turns away from God, the world becomes a corrupt and perverse place of moral chaos and wickedness. The only way a man can live in harmony with his fellow man is to follow the guidelines of the One who created and formed him. A fool tries to establish a law of right and wrong from a failed point of view that is corrupt and immoral. That is why the world has become a dark place to live. The light of God is removed, and how dark is that darkness.

Peering through the darkness are the eyes of God seeking men who understand and seek God. In the days of Noah, the Lord saw eight souls that could be saved. When Israel turned away from God, the remnant was preserved through the grace of God. Even in the church of Sardis, a church Jesus said was dead; God saw a few that would walk with Him in white. God is looking over the human race for those who are not fools but wise to know His will. He wants to bless the souls of those who seek His word and His will in their lives. They are living above the filth of the world, shining as lights in a dark place, seasoning the influence of the world through their obedience to the gospel.

It is comforting to know God is seeking those who are seeking Him. The world can be a hard place to live for those seeking righteousness and godliness. There can be times when the disciple of Christ can feel alone. Throughout the life of Jesus, He knew He was never far from His Father. The blessing of God’s presence helped to fortify Jesus’s work to accomplish all He came to do. Even on the cross, Jesus knew God had not abandoned Him. When He cried out, “It is finished,” Jesus knew His Father was pleased with Him. God raised His Son from the dead, giving hope to all His followers they would never be forsaken or forgotten.

The fool will say in his heart there is no God, but the believer will know in his heart there is a God who seeks Him. God is looking for hearts that spend time praying, reading, sharing, and working in the vineyard. Hearts seeking God please Him. Make every day an opportunity to seek the Lord and draw closer to Him. As you draw your life closer to Him, He will draw His love deeper into your heart. What a joy that will be.

For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward. (Mark 9:41)

It’s The Little Things In Life

So many things can be done to show the glory of God, and most of those things are never noticed or known. The big things in life seldom make as many changes as possible than the insignificant acts of kindness, goodness, and benevolence. The idea that to be helpful requires great fanfare belies the reality of how much more good is done under the radar with no one noticing. A cup of water is not much. It is less than a gallon and not even a quart. A cup of water seems so small, yet the Lord sees it as something greater. There is a heart that willingly brings water to someone in need.

Albert Barnes noted, “The feeblest service will be accepted, and acts of love that may be forgotten by man, will be remembered by Him, and rewarded in heaven.” The world seldom takes note of the small things. They go unnoticed and unrecognized because they are not done for the glory of men. Some live their lives seeking to leave their mark on history. Others quietly concern themselves with those who are thirsty, hungry, naked, destitute, and disheartened. A cup of water takes a servant’s heart with a utensil to carry a small amount of water. For the person receiving the water, it is a fountain overflowing.

Jesus reminds the proud of the work of the humble. Taking a cup of water to someone in need is the servant’s heart, showing the glory of God. There are many things to do in the family of God. Some are preachers, shepherds, song leaders, devotional leaders, and Bible class teachers. These are essential parts of the church’s work, but the church needs the cupbearers the most. Nehemiah was a cupbearer to a king, but he challenged a distraught and disheartened people to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. His small contribution led to great things.

The servant’s heart in the kingdom is found in sending a card with a handwritten note. With social media so prevalent with texting, emails, and electronic communication, the human factor of a cup of water is lost. Receiving a short handwritten note inspires the heart. A voice on the phone can cheer a person’s heart, which needs cheering. The great tragedy of the American landscape is the absence of front porches where people used to spend endless hours visiting and talking. It isn’t easy to visit with many folks without an appointment. The house must be spotlessly clean before anyone can stop in. Stopping by with a cup of water is a lost art.

Jesus wants His disciples to be cupbearers looking for small things to do that bring great rewards. The church needs to return to the roots of its heritage, where brethren shared their cups of water with one another and their neighbors. There is no such thing as retiring in the vineyard of the Lord. Everyone has work to do. For most of us, the most we can do is a cup of water, but how blessed is that cup when needed. Look for opportunities to offer a glimmer of hope to someone. Dust off those water cups and put them to use again. Learn how to share the love of God. You belong to Christ. Give a cup of water.

Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:18-19)

Freedom Is Never Free

The price of freedom always comes at a high cost. In America, Memorial Day is remembered to honor those who died in battle to defend the American way of life. Many of these soldiers did not have a choice as conscripts in the wars fought all over the globe. They had plans and dreams of life, hopes for a better future, and the belief they would survive the battles. Sadly, death had a greater hand in their lives, and they never returned home to enjoy the fruits of freedom. Cemeteries are filled with marble monuments inscribed with the names of soldiers who gave everything. Freedom is never free.

It is fitting and honorable for the community to reflect upon the countless thousands of men and women who died for the honor of their fellow man and country. Freedom is purchased with the sacrifice of the willing and the unwilling. It is said that old men start wars where young men must die to end the war. The First World War was to be the war that ended all wars. It only took twenty-one years for the Second World War to erupt. Since 1945, America has been in dozens of wars and incursions. Wars will never end, and men will find ways to kill their fellow man. The United Nations is the modern Tower of Babel that proves men cannot live in peace with one another. Understanding the root causes of war will never come from the wisdom of men but from the word of God. Freedom is never free.

Wars are fought as a consequence of sin. It seems too simplistic to attach cause and effect to the nature of sin. The reason Cain killed Abel was sinful pride and hatred. Murder has been the staple of the human heart ever since. The darkness of sin covered the earth with a blanket of prejudice, envy, hatred, malice, and pride. Nations destroyed nations for nothing. There was no answer to lift man from the mire of death. Human wisdom could not solve the problem. Humanity could never know true freedom. The world was in a hopeless and desperate place. And then a child was born in Bethlehem. Freedom is never free.

The Son of God left His place with the Father to take on flesh in the form of His creation. Man’s freedom from sin began when Jesus left Heaven. There is nothing comparable in the annals of human history to understand the depth of sacrifice for God to leave His habitation to come in the form of man. Jesus began to free humankind from sin by first leaving His Father. The life of Jesus was a sacrifice. He was born of a woman. Jesus grew as a young man in body and spirit, fighting the wiles of the devil, refusing to give in to the temptations of the evil one. At the age of thirty, the Lord began His ministry, knowing it would lead to death on the cross. Freedom is never free.

Jesus kept His word to the Father and completed His mission to redeem sinful men from the scourge of sin. Adam and Eve disobeyed the will of God, resulting in the condemnation of sin’s penalty. Through one man’s offense, judgment came to all men. Humanity stood condemned. Freedom from sin would require the death of one Man. Through the righteous act of sacrifice, the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. Jesus paid the highest price for freedom in the history of humankind. There will never be a greater price paid. Through one man’s disobedience, the world was doomed with condemnation. By one Man’s obedience, the path to righteousness was made possible.

Freedom is never free, and it costs the Son of God everything to open the vistas of eternal life for a creature that did not deserve anything from a wrathful God. Memorial Day is a beautiful testimony of thanksgiving for the sacrifice of the countless who died to secure freedom. It took the death of one Man to ensure the price of freedom from sin; and what an incredibly high cost Jesus paid because of my sin. On the first day of every week, I can tell my God, “Thank you” for the sacrifice of His Son. I can tell Jesus, “Thank you” for the price He paid to give me freedom. I know freedom is never free, and I thank God for Jesus Christ.

In those days they shall say no more: “The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.” (Jeremiah 31:29)

No One To Blame

The art of blaming others for self-made mistakes is common in the human spirit. Someone is always to blame for the bad things that happen or the injustices brought against an innocent person. Prisons are filled with voices that blame others. Social injustice comes from finding others to blame for the conditions of the times. There is a movement to blame past generations for crimes, holding present-day society accountable for reparations. In reality, every individual is responsible for himself and his actions alone.

It is easy to blame parents for the way a man behaves. Society can be charged as the culprit of destroying the character of a group of people or community. There are limitless ways to turn the blame upon the faults of others. The greater truth in this phenomenon is that it is all false and a lie. Blaming others for the individual’s actions does not agree with the will of God. One of the foundational truths of scripture is that all men are accountable for one person: themselves.

During the final days of Judah, before the Chaldeans destroyed them, the people cried out how unfair it was for the punishment of God. The last days of Judah had come, and a foreign nation began to move toward Judah to conquer. Prophets like Jeremiah told the people to repent, but they could not believe they had any reason to repent. What was happening to them was the fault of their fathers. The people in the final days of God’s kingdom blamed others for their impending doom. They were not to blame. A proverb claimed the fathers had eaten the sour grapes and the children were innocent victims of what their fathers had done. This same proverb will be heard by Ezekiel when the people complained to him.

God makes it abundantly clear that blaming the fathers for the sins of the children does not work. It seems the people asked the Lord for a pass on their sins so they could blame others. God would have none of it. He punished the people who had sinned without regard to their fathers, mothers, teachers, prophets, or king. If a person was condemned, it was because they were guilty. Ezekiel would later explain the soul that sins dies. A father will not bear the sins of the son, nor will the son bear the father’s sins. The principle is that each individual would be responsible for his own sin – regardless of who he tried to blame.

The will of God has never wavered from the fundamental truth that every person is accountable to God for himself and himself alone. A father cannot stand before God pleading the case for his son. The son will not be able to defend his father. Every soul will stand before the judgment of God and stand alone. The preacher will not be able to defend the souls of others. Parents cannot explain their children. Society will not be considered as an excuse for sin. Husbands and wives cannot defend one another. The soul that sins will die.

What is learned from the proverb of sour grapes is that God does not accept the blame of others for the actions of the individual. There is no mercy in blaming the fathers for eating sour grapes. When I stand before God, I stand alone. You will stand all by yourself. God is not a respecter of persons, and His judgment will not come from shifting blame on others. The judgment of the Lord God is the purest of judgments where all men are accounted equally based upon the individual alone. That is how serious the judgment will be. How do you measure yourself? Stop blaming sour grapes on someone else. You are accountable for you.

The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw. “O Lord, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear? Even cry out to You, ‘Violence!’ and You will not save. Why do You show me iniquity, and cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; there is strife, and contention arises. Therefore the law is powerless, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; therefore perverse judgment proceeds.” (Habakkuk 1:1-4)

How Long, O Lord?

Habakkuk was a man of faith whose faith was tested by what he saw in Judah. What the prophet saw in Judah, and the holy city of Jerusalem tested the metal of his devotion to the Lord. Throughout the land, lawlessness and injustice ruled. The king was corrupt, and the government was filled with wickedness. There was no regard for the law of God in the land. The prophet complained to God, seeking answers to why God’s chosen people were acting so ruthlessly and how the Lord would address the problem.

The remnant of Israel was in tatters and facing the onslaught of the Chaldean nation, ready to pounce upon the helpless people of God. Babylon was a fierce nation destroying everything in its path with eyes on Jerusalem. Habakkuk took his complaint to God, trying to understand what the Lord would do with the Chaldeans. To the surprise of the prophet, God tells him Babylon will be His instrument to punish His people. How could God use a nation so wicked as the Chaldeans to punish His people? The history of Israel shows how the Lord used other nations to punish His people, but those nations were also destroyed because of their wickedness.

Egypt was the first nation to feel the wrath of God when Moses brought the Hebrews out of slavery. The Philistines and other nations of Caanan felt the steel of God’s wrath in the conquest of the promised land. Assyria was used to punish the northern ten tribes, and then the Lord brought the Babylonians to punish the Assyrians. Babylon would not be an exception to the wrath of the divine. The Persians punished the Babylonians, and then the Greeks destroyed Persia. Rome conquered the Greeks, and the cycle was complete. Habakkuk must realize the will of God is complete.

There is a supremacy of God’s wrath against all wickedness, regardless of who is guilty. Israel was guilty and was punished, and so were the nations who came against them. God is no respecter of persons when it comes to sin. Habakkuk was concerned for the nation of God. He was perplexed as to the righteous judgment of God. The Lord answered him with the reminder that all nations are ruled by the will of God. Kings are raised by the power of God, and the will of the Lord destroys nations. No people on earth are exempt from the divine judgment, including God’s own people.

Habakkuk reveals a dark secret of challenged faith. He asks the Lord, “How long shall I cry, and You will not hear?” There are times when the world seems against the faithful, and justice is not being carried out against evil. Why do bad things happen to good people? Where is the justice of God against the wicked? There is a spirit of revenge from the faithful against those guilty as if they are not accountable for their actions. There is violence in the world, and God does nothing. Where can the faithful heart find solace in a world torn by injustice? The wicked surround the righteous. Goodness is condemned. The hand of oppression is heavy.

The plea of Habakkuk is a familiar song from the time of persecution. In the Revelation of John, the souls under the altar cry out, “How long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?” A need for justice prevails. The word of the Lord tells Habakkuk that the Babylonians are coming as instruments of God’s wrath. God rules in men’s affairs, which will bring peace to the mind in the midst of a cruel and unjust world. The world is filled with injustice and the heart will cry out, “How long?” Just wait. God is coming.

Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. (Genesis 1:14-15)

The Voice Of God

The Sun is a star in the center of the solar system with a diameter of 864,600 miles. It is a massive, perfect orb of hot plasma pulsating energy outward. The distance of the Sun to Earth is the exact amount of energy necessary for life around 93,000,000 miles away. Scientists suggest the Sun was formed approximately 4.6 billion years ago. They also indicate that the universe was created from a spontaneous generation where life comes from non-life. The truth is that on the fourth day of creation, the Lord God spoke – and the Sun, Moon, Earth, and all the planets and stars in the heavens were created instantly.

Nothing within the framework of human imagination can explain or describe the idea that the only thing God did was speak, and the heavenly universe was created. To understand the magnitude of such power is beyond the realm of human logic. No human being can speak and carry out such a feat without the power of God. Jesus spoke, and a fig tree died. He was on the water during a terrible storm and spoke to calm the waters. Jesus healed all manner of diseases by speaking. He cast out demons by speaking. His voice carried the power of His Father.

The first thing God created was light, and He spoke it into existence. On the second day, God spoke, and the firmament was separated from the waters. The voice of God created all the rivers, lakes, seas, and oceans. Dry land was established by God speaking. The vegetation covering the earth was created when God spoke. On the fifth day, the birds of the air and the creatures of the waters came into existence. The Blue Whale is the most enormous creature on earth, weighing 400,000 pounds and reaching lengths of nearly 100 feet. God spoke. It was created. Hummingbirds are only two to nine inches long, weighing less than an ounce. God spoke. They were created. God’s voice created the land animals. He spoke. They appeared.

How can anything be compared to the voice of God? He can speak and form a mass as incredible as the Sun. The Sun is minuscule in the universe compared to other stars and planets. The biggest star in the known universe is UY Scuti, a variable hypergiant with a radius around 1,700 times larger than the radius of the Sun. God spoke. It was created. If God can speak and form what is seen in the world and throughout the expanse of an ever-increasing universe, what kind of problem can He not solve in my life? Man is a microscopic atom compared to the universe, yet God knows the name of every soul that makes up the eight billion on Earth. He knows every need of every soul in real-time throughout every year since the beginning of time.

The universe is expanding not to show how big the universe is but to show man how small he is. In the smallness of this vast world, the God of heaven spoke and gave humanity a book that tells the story of the Creator. The Bible is the word of God, the voice of God, the mind of God delivered to man. Like the voice of God in creation, it is the power of God unto salvation to all who believe and obey His word. The Bible tells us that Jesus will return one day without rapture or secret arrival. When Jesus returns, it will be with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. Everyone will know the voice of God. It will be unmistakable.